Over the course of the 104-year history, the Chicago Bears have often found playoff success thanks to their dominant defensive play, rather than their offensive firepower. That lack of offensive success rings especially true when you consider their output in the 21st century.
Out of 798 offenses in the PFSN’s Offense+ database, the Bears only have two appearances in the top 200. They are one of four teams without a single unit in the top 100, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Giants, and the New York Jets. Nonetheless, here’s a look at Chicago’s ten best offensive performances of the modern era.
10) 2001 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 70.0 (C-)
We kick off this list with the Bears’ first season of the 21st century, which remains tied for the best record they’ve achieved since 2000 (13-3). The defense indeed led the way in 2001, but with five comeback wins this season, the offense played its part.
Jim Miller stepped in as the new starting quarterback, going 11-2 in 13 starts. Running back Anthony Thomas won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the team with 1,183 rushing yards. Marty Booker surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, and Olin Kreutz was a Pro Bowler.
However, they had six games with fewer than 20 points.
9) 2012 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 70.1 (C-)
The 2012 season started well enough for the Bears, as they went 7-1 to kick off the year. However, after scoring 19 touchdowns in the first half of the year, they scored just nine in the second half and closed the year out at 3-5.
This was Brandon Marshall’s first year on the Bears, and he was a first-team All-Pro with 118 catches for 1,508 yards and 11 touchdowns. Matt Forte also ran for over 1,000 yards. However, the offense had a brutal stretch from Weeks 10 to 15, surpassing 20 points just once in those six games.
8) 2008 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 71.2 (C-)
Going into 2008, the Bears lost their leading passer (Brian Griese), leading rusher (Cedric Benson), and leading receiver (Bernard Berrian) from the previous season. Those major adjustments initially caused some growing pains for their offense, although it might not have been as severe as they had expected.
Forte led the way as a rookie, rushing for 1,238 yards and eight touchdowns while also leading the team in catches. Kyle Orton beat out Rex Grossman for the QB job, putting together an unspectacular season. Devin Hester also stepped into a bigger role on offense to lead the team in receiving yards. This was the final season before the Bears traded for Jay Cutler.
7) 2006 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 71.2 (C-)
Believe it or not, this was the Bears team that reached the Super Bowl. It highlights just how heavily the defense and special teams carried the load in 2006, as the offense ranked only 19th in the league in Offense+.
Happy birthday, Thomas Jones 🐻
Jones’ 123-yards rushing in the ’06 NFC Championship Game is a Bears postseason record!
(Via @NFLonFOX) pic.twitter.com/pIBYA3gEz1
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) August 19, 2024
Grossman tossed 20 interceptions in 2006, and no Bears receiver cracked 900 yards. Still, the offensive line featured Pro Bowlers Kreutz and Ruben Brown, who helped power a potent ground attack led by Thomas Jones, who rushed for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns.
6) 2014 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 74.4 (C)
Expectations were high in Year 2 of Trestman’s tenure as the Bears’ coach in 2014. They had a stellar offense but missed the playoffs, so they went heavy on defense with their free agent acquisitions. Unfortunately for them, everything went downhill quickly.
The defense and coaching were the most significant reasons the Bears fell from 8-8 to 5-11, but the middling offense also didn’t help matters. They finished 23rd in points per game, and Cutler led the league with 18 interceptions. Alshon Jeffery reached 1,113 receiving yards, and tight end Martellus Bennett made the Pro Bowl, but there were few other bright spots.
5) 2020 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 75.2 (C)
The Bears’ offense struggled in 2020, finishing 24th in the league in Offense+. Still, their 75.2 grade was strong enough to land them a top-five spot on this list. That season also marked the last time Chicago reached the playoffs.
They started hot, going 5-1, with Nick Foles taking over at quarterback. He cooled down and went back to the bench amidst a six-game losing streak. Trubisky took back over and won three of their last four games. David Montgomery surpassed 1,000 rushing yards, and Allen Robinson was ninth in the league with 1,250 receiving yards.
4) 2015 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 75.3 (C)
All told, the Bears might have overachieved with their 2015 season. A significant part of that unit’s success was halfway decent offensive execution, led by offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
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Even after the team traded away Marshall, Cutler put up 3,659 passing yards: his second-best total in his eight seasons in Chicago. Jeffery missed time due to injury but dominated to the tune of 89.7 receiving yards per game. Forte also suffered injuries but was complemented in the backfield by rookie running back Jeremy Langford.
3) 2016 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 76.9 (C)
The Bears were a mess in 2016, finishing with a 3-13 record. The offense finished 16th in the league, according to PFSN Offense+, reflecting the broader trend of their offensive struggles over the year.
Amidst the quarterback rotation of Cutler, Brian Hoyer, and Matt Barkley came a strong run game, however. Jordan Howard came out of nowhere as a fifth-round pick to finish second in the league with 1,313 rushing yards. Kyle Long and Pro Bowler Josh Sitton led the way up front.
2) 2018 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 80.9 (B-)
Matt Nagy came out of the gates firing as the Bears’ new head coach in 2018, as they won the NFC North and went 12-4. The defense played a significant role in their success, but their above-average offense ultimately placed 12th in Offense+ that year.
Chicago finished ninth with 26.3 points per game in 2018, led by Mitchell Trubisky in his second year as their starting quarterback. A solid group of weapons, including Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Allen Robinson, and Taylor Gabriel, played key roles. Two starters on their offensive line, Charles Leno Jr. and Cody Whitehair, ended up as Pro Bowlers, too.
1) 2013 Bears
PFSN Offense+ Grade: 82.3 (B-)
As maligned as Marc Trestman was during his brief tenure as the Bears’ head coach, he accomplished one thing in 2013 that few people have done: put a dominant offensive product on the field. With an 82.3 grade, they ranked as the fifth-best offense in the NFL in Offense+.
In 2013, the Bears featured four offensive Pro Bowlers (Forte, Marshall, Jeffery, and rookie guard Kyle Long), marking their highest total in a single season since the start of the 21st century. That year, they tied for second in the NFL in scoring and ranked fifth in passing. Forte rushed for 1,339 yards, while Marshall and Jeffery topped 1,200 receiving yards.
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟑
With a wind chill of -9, Josh McCown throws 4 touchdown passes, rushes for another as the Bears beat the Cowboys on Monday Night Football! pic.twitter.com/zbTVYBHMFa
— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) December 9, 2019
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this offense was the quarterback controversy. Cutler played well as a starter, but when he got hurt, Josh McCown stole the show. He led the NFL in turnover percentage, throwing 13 touchdowns to just one interception in five starts. His 109.0 passer rating is still the best single-season mark in Bears history.
